Six-time All-Star Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell drew major praise from head coach Kenny Atkinson following a third consecutive masterful performance against the Pacers in their ongoing playoff series, this time in a win on the road, per Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Mitchell chipped in 43 points, his second straight 40-plus point performance in the semifinal matchup and his third straight 30-plus point game.
“I thought he was masterful,” Atkinson said. “I don’t use that word hardly ever. He was masterful in the way he controlled the game — passing, making the right decision, defending. Probably, for me, best performance of the year.”
After missing All-Star guard Darius Garland for Games 1 and 2, both losses, plus All-Star big man Evan Mobley and reserve forward De’Andre Hunter for Game 2, the Cavaliers brought back all three. Garland, playing for the first time since April 23 due to a big toe sprain, and Hunter didn’t contribute a ton of scoring, but Mobley notched an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Still, Cleveland went plus-27 during its 14 minutes with normal starters Garland, Mitchell, Max Strus, Mobley and Jarrett Allen playing together.
The Cavaliers employed some new tactical methods to slow down Indiana’s preferred pace-and-space offense, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. A zone defense seemed to disrupt the Pacers’ attack, helping cement a demonstrative 126-104 win.
There’s more out of Cleveland:
- Mitchell’s legend is growing in Cleveland, even with his team trailing 2-1, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Mitchell is just the second Cavaliers player in team history to notch two consecutive 40-point contests. He was able to steady Cleveland when the club’s lead seemed to be in jeopardy during the fourth quarter, much the way he did to preserve victory in Game 2 of the Cavaliers’ first round playoff series against the Heat.
- Atkinson also made a point to shout out Strus, perhaps the least-heralded of the team’s starters, Vardon adds. Atkinson considers Strus the club’s “enforcer.” “Every game is going to ask for something different,” Strus said. “but I’ve had experiences, I’ve played in some big games, so I’m kind of just understanding the moment and keeping guys locked in.”
- In case you missed it, Garland and Mobley both discussed the state of their injuries following the Game 3 victory.